Pesky Cat Designs

The Hobo Tote Bag is coming back to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. I will be making a few tweaks to the design but it will still have a long adjustable strap so it can be worn short or long over the shoulder or cross body. It will be available in a variety of applique designs and without. It's roomy without being bulky. Perfect as an everyday bag. I should have a batch in the shop in the next week or so. Stay tuned!

If you click above you can watch a short film about the history of Harris Tweed wool. It's an amazing cloth!   The Harris Tweed Wayfarer Purse

To see more pics from today's photo shoot come visit our Facebook page . Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend ahead!

Four new Wayfarer Purses were just added to the  Pesky Cat Designs  shop. The Pesky Cat was hard at work in the studio.  Wishing everyone a great week ahead! Found via

Lots of birds come to visit us here on a daily basis including the red bellied woodpecker and cardinal posted above. My computer is situated in front of a window where I can peruse and hear many different birds. Occasionally a woodpecker will decide to drill on our roof and you would think it was a jackhammer. Amazing that such a small bird has so much power.  Recently on one of Anni's supervised walks she upset a cardinal by trying to chase it and it proceeded to follow her from branch to branch chirping very loudly. Later I discovered that it has a nest with babies and was letting Anni know that she is not welcome. Anni was completely oblivious and quickly got distracted when a little butterfly crossed her path. Shop Update: Cross Body Satchels with handmade bird appliques now available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop!

I just added a couple of totes made from buttery soft faux leather (PVC-free) to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. Generously sized for everyday use with one large zippered pocket and two slip pockets to keep your things organized. They clean up easily with just soap and water. These totes can be made to order with various applique designs or without.  Lots of new wristlets are now available in the shop as well. These can also be made to order with the applique design of your choice.  Wishing everyone a great week ahead!

Today's photo shoot took place at Anastasia State Park , my favorite place on the island. We biked from the studio with our panniers filled with bags and a camera. It was an absolutely beautiful day with sunny skies.  I also added a couple of new bags to the Pesky Cat Designs shop today made from PVC-free faux leather. Overall it was a productive and enjoyable day.  Come see the video Tom created of the photo shoot here !

Yesterday in the studio I started with a blank canvas and boho-inspired thoughts of fun colors, mixed textiles/textures and unique buttons. First I decided on periwinkle blue linen and a sage green linen textured fabric for the main body of my satchels. Then the fun began. I pulled out my bins containing fabric scraps of wool felt, harris tweed, linen and more and started experimenting by cutting and layering different pieces together. There were bits of fabric flying everywhere but I didn't care. I would go with the moment and clean up later. I finally decided on wool felt and tweed to create my appliques with. I love how the highly textured Harris Tweed looks against the soft wool felt and how the sculptural looking carved wood buttons top everything off. My new boho-inspired satchels will be available in the shop tomorrow. And tomorrow I'll be back in the studio with new inspirations.

The Harris Tweed Equestrian Satchel Just added a couple of Harris Tweed Satchels to the shop adorned with equestrian-inspired appliques for all you horse lovers out there. And now I'm off to my studio to complete some more handbags. Wishing everyone a great day!

The Giveaway Bag! If you are curious who won the World's Best Cat Litter Valentine's Day giveaway just head over to their blog ! The prize is now on its way to the lucky winner. I enjoyed creating the feline-inspired bag for this giveaway. I now have a few kitty bags available in my shop. Please keep in mind that the butterflies always get away and the kitty stills has lots of fun! The Flower Power Kitty and Butterfly Satchel

Posted below is the progression of my latest batch of Satchels starting this morning. The finished bags will be available in my shop this evening. Thought I would give you a glimpse into their production today. This morning at about 10:00 a.m. when I entered my studio these 4 bags were awaiting me. I made the main body of each bag and their flaps the day before.  By around noon I created an interior lining for each bag with one zippered pocket and one slip pocket. I had cut out and interfaced each piece yesterday so all I had to do is sew today. After they were complete I proceeded to make an adjustable strap for each bag using cotton webbing.  The next step was to attach the strap to each bag and then sew the lining into the bag. At around 2:00 a.m. they were done. At this point I photographed them so I would be able to add them to the shop tonight. They should be available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop at around 8 PM!

Recently I had quite a few customers contact me asking if I have any messengers in the works. So in the next few weeks I will concentrate on adding more to the shop. The pair above will be available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop tomorrow afternoon. They are made from a linen-look upholstery fabric that is perfect for bag making. It's pretty, durable and sews up nicely. I have plenty of of it in stock in the burnt orange color and will soon have it available in java, chestnut, cherry red and sage. Today in the studio I finished up a custom order and worked on several Harris Tweed bags that are in various stages of completion. The shoot above was taken towards the end of the day when I had already cleaned up my work space. I confess it does not look quite this tidy when I am in the midst of working The bolts of cotton print fabric and metal stands were purchased at a fabric shop that went out of business recently. I purchased several of these metal divider racks and they are perf...

T his purse in a vibrant red-orange corduroy will brighten up any outfit. I just added two new purses to the Pesky Cat Designs shop made in this bold color. There's also one in chocolate brown corduroy in case you are looking for one in a more neutral color.  Recently I also added patchwork Harris Tweed satchels and some purses in solids to the shop so stop by to see them all.  Wishing you a great week ahead!

Today it was 74  °F  (23  ° C) and partly sunny here in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. It was a perfect day for being out and about. The image above was taken at around noon. Tom and I biked for several hours stopping only to watch the waves and to grab a bite to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant.  Above is a sneak preview of work in progress at the studio. These Satchels are made from 100% eco -friendly hemp that is hand woven and hand dyed. This textile has a linen/burlap look and the colors are so earthy and gorgeous. These bags will be completed and available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop tomorrow afternoon. More bags are in various states of completion right now and should be listed in my shop by the end of next week. For the new year I'm thinking flower power, boho , rustic, folklore, indie, patchwork and denim. Earthy and natural. Not sure how many of these ideas will be transformed into handbags but if you stay tuned you'll find out! Wishing you...

In the next week I'll be adding aviary inspired bags, purses and wristlets to the Pesky Cat Designs shop. Right now in the studio there are several Harris Tweed bags in production. I'll also have more items available in the cool retro-look owl print cotton canvas. If there is something that you like that has recently sold just contact me via the shop. In most cases I can set up a custom order for you as long as I have the fabric in stock. Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday and week ahead!

Y esterday I posted a glimpse into my studio with my recent work in progress. I needed interface in order to complete the work and was waiting for my supply to be shipped. Later that day it arrived! And today my second backup shipment arrived so I am well stocked for the next month. I completed three new corduroy purses and should be able to finish a few more today. The purses pictured above will be listed in my shop today. Wishing everyone a wonderful Friday and weekend ahead. 

I think gray is a perfect neutral that will go with just about any color outfit. I can picture it paired with shades of fuschia, black, red, dark navy and mustard to name a few. The purse above is made from Harris Tweed wool in a medium gray with a light gray wool felt applique and a wood button. I recently purchased some wool felt and it is perfect for making appliques with.  I ordered quite a few colors so I can experiment with different shades.  Yesterday I added a couple of bags to the Pesky Cat Designs shop including the purse shown above. More bags will be added this afternoon. For anyone that is interested I am now taking custom orders. See my shop policies for more information. This week I will be working on a new collection of Harris Tweed wristlets. Stay tuned!

Yesterday I spent most of the day photographing new handbags and also re-shooting older bags to give them a fresh start. The new bags are now available in the Pesky Cat Designs shop . Wristlets are coming soon as well as more clutches. I placed an order for Harris Tweed wool from Scotland last week and I can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime I am working with my supply of cotton corduroy and faux suede.  Below is a shoot of my studio taken last week. It's a bit less organized right now but in full activity!

I just added six new clutches to the Pesky Cat Designs shop ! It was a clutch factory here at the studio for the past two days. These are generously sized at 8.5" wide, 5.5" tall and 1.5" deep. Plenty of room for a small wallet, glasses, keys, cell phone and a lipstick or two. I use mine all the time. I still have more completed that need to be photographed later this week. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Enjoy!

This week Etsy and South Street Seaport is teaming up to host a series of free Craft Nights at the @Seaport space, in NYC, and they are kicking it off with a sea-themed applique sewing workshop. Read all about it here . If you live far away you can still stop by for a demonstration straight from Craft Night via Etsy's online multi-user chat room, Virtual Labs , for a live online demo at 5PM ET. (Click here to see what time 5PM ET is in your hometown.) Thanks Etsy for featuring my Offbeat Messenger Bag with a seahorse applique among your cool nautical finds in your Storque feature. It seems like perfect timing for my upcoming move to St. Augustine, Florida. I just can't wait to get settled in and start designing my sea-inspired collection!